


A Constant Repair

by Nestra



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Post-Episode: s02e05 I'll Stand By You
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-23 10:37:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23710171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nestra/pseuds/Nestra
Summary: Alex shifts in the chair next to him, drawing his attention. "I told Maria we weren't friends."
Relationships: Alex Manes & Kyle Valenti
Comments: 28
Kudos: 69





	A Constant Repair

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to grit kitty for audiencing.
> 
> In case it wasn't obvious from the tags, this has spoilers through episode 205.
> 
> Title from Samuel Johnson: "A man, sir, should keep his friendship in a constant repair."

Kyle stares at the empty operating room, trying to figure out if there's any way to get a journal article out of performing heart surgery on a dead alien. Probably not.

Maybe one of the ones without peer review.

Alex shifts in the chair next to him, drawing his attention. "I told Maria we weren't friends."

"Okay," Kyle says, wondering if he's supposed to be offended. Joke's on Alex—he's way too wiped out to have any room left for offense. Plus, he's got a flask in his hand that proves otherwise.

"I don't know why I said it." Alex rubs his right knee. He's probably almost as tired as Kyle is, spending all that time running around, convincing the hospital that they needed a private OR, making sure all of the staff stayed away.

Kyle takes another sip before passing the flask back. "Come on, I'm a surgeon, not a shrink."

"I have seen enough psychiatrists," Alex says, tucking the flask back into a pocket. "Definitely not looking for another one of those."

"So why tell me?"

Alex lifts his shoulders in a shrug. "Didn't feel right, once I thought about it."

"I have something to tell you, Alex. Something terrible." He waits until Alex turns to look at him, eyes starting to widen in concern. "We are friends."

"Very funny," Alex says, sarcasm twisting his lips. "I had figured that out."

He doesn't seem to feel like he needs to add anything to that, so they sit in silence for a few minutes—long enough for Kyle to start seriously thinking about his bed. But if Alex didn't have more to say, or at least more he wanted to discuss, he'd have left.

"I guess you and Maria are talking again," Kyle tries. He holds up a hand as a thought occurs to him. "Please don't take my interest as a sign that I want to hear about anyone's relationship with Michael Guerin."

"Yeah," Alex says with a sigh. "We talked through some stuff. It's a start."

Kyle scratches behind his ear, where the surgical mask's ties always itch. "Look at you. Friends all over the place. I'm sure it doesn't mean anything that it's always been easier for you to be friends with women."

"I thought we were past 'gay best friend' stereotypes," Alex says, a hard edge running through his voice. They're friends now, but Kyle knows it wouldn't be hard to blow it up again. And whatever Alex thinks, Kyle values that friendship more than he'd like to admit.

"I'm not a shrink, but I still took a few psych classes."

Alex spreads his open hand between them, an invitation for Kyle to elaborate.

"Abusive father, absent mother, and three older brothers." Kyle ticks them off on his fingers. "All the men in your family are military, and you joined up at 18—when Don't Ask Don't Tell was still a thing."

Ales doesn't say anything, just waits for Kyle to continue.

"As a gay teenager, you were ostracized by most of the guys your age, including yours truly. Kinda makes sense that you feel more comfortable being yourself with women. Especially when they're women like Liz and Maria."

"Guess you've got me all figured out."

Kyle starts to shake his head but reconsiders when his neck muscles protest. "Not saying that. I just...I understand why you might not consider us friends. But for the record, I was an idiot in high school, and I don't want to screw things up again."

"You've already told me that," Alex says, lips quirking in a half-smile.

"Well." Kyle shrugs. "It's worth saying twice."

"Thanks," Alex says. "I, uh...yeah. Me too."

That's probably as close as Alex is going to get to an outright declaration, so Kyle decides to take the win. 

"Come on," he says, clapping a hand on Alex's shoulder. "It's been a hell of a day."

"Worked out okay, though," Alex says. He pushes himself out of the chair, a hand braced on each arm to stabilize himself.

"Yeah, it did," Kyle agrees. Thanks to his training and Liz's dedication, Michael's intellect and Rosa's compassion. And Alex's resolve. "I think we make a pretty good team."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Twitter as [@akaNestra](https://twitter.com/akaNestra) and Tumblr as [changingthingslikeleaves](https://changingthingslikeleaves.tumblr.com/).


End file.
